Art 370 Move & War On Covid In Govt's Top Feats

Amit Shah’s Ministry of Home Affairs cites the scrapping of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and its handling of the coronavirus crisis as major achievements.

- Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu

The MHA’s list of achievements mentions India's historic decision to remove Article 370 and 35A of the Constitution — which brought J&K and Ladakh on par with other states and territories — and cites measures it has taken to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. It says it augmented resources to tackle the outbreak.

Some Bills that have been listed as achievements include the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, now an Act. Passed in December, the controversial law fast-tracks naturalisation for illegal immigrants from six non-Muslim minority religious groups (in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh) who entered India on or before December 31, 2014. It led to nationwide protests; months of unrest culminated in rioting in Delhi in which dozens were killed. The government says the law is meant to help minorities who faced religious persecution.

The government response to Cyclones Vayu, Maha, Bulbul and Amphan, and the opening of the Kartarpur corridor, also get a mention in the list. The formation of the Shri Ram Janma Bhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to oversee the construction of a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya was also featured.

J&K THE KEY FOCUS